Up In Smoke
by Misha
Summary: Chloe watched as her dreams went up in smoke.


Up in Smoke   
By Misha 

Disclaimer- I totally do not own any of the characters of Smallville (though I wish I owned Lex!), they belong to a lot of people with more money than me. I am not making any money off using them in this story, so please don't sue me. 

Author's Notes- This is another one I've been working on for a long time. It's kind of strange, but... It focuses on Chloe and is set in the same world as "On the Outside, Looking In", just a year later. It's depressing and definitely not for Clark/Chloe fans, or Chloe/Lex fans for that matter. Also, my portrayal of Lex might seem harsh and in reality, I love Lex, but... I wanted to show his more corrupt side, his less than good side. Well, that's all, enjoy! 

Spoilers- Up to Jitters. 

Rating- PG   
--- 

"Hey, Chloe, are you going to the dance this weekend?" Clark asked with a bright smile. 

Chloe sighed. 

If this was a fantasy, then as soon as she told him that no she wasn't going, she didn't have a date, he'd ask her out and they'd then proceed to live happily ever after. 

But, that wasn't going to happen, since this wasn't a fantasy and the reality was that Clark and Lana had been dating for almost a year and were so in love it was sickening. Or heartbreaking, depending on who you were. 

She sighed. "No, I don't have a date and I don't feel like going solo, why?" 

"Do you want to go with me?" Clark asked with a smile. 

Chloe stared at him in shock. "What?" 

Clark Kent couldn't have just asked her out, could he have? 

"Do you want to go to the dance with me?" Clark repeated. "Look, Lana's going out of town for the weekend, and normally I would just skip the dance, but..." 

"But what?" Chloe asked. 

"I talked Lex into chaperoning." Clark told her. "He's always dragging me to parties and stuff, so I decided to drag him into my world for a change." 

Chloe gasped. "You're kidding, right? I thought you had to be a parent or a teacher to be a chaperone?" 

"Or be a serious school benefactor." Clark told her. "Which Lex is. So, he'd kill me if I skipped the dance after I begged him into it, and I don't want to go alone, but I don't want to ask anyone else either. I mean, you know what the gossip in this school is like." 

"Do I ever." Chloe agreed. "But how do I come into this?" 

"Easy." Clark told her. "Everyone knows that you and I are just friends, so if we go to the dance together, there will be no rumours that Lana and I broke up. I mean, no one would **ever** think that we're dating, right?" 

Chloe felt her heart break into a million pieces. 

"Right." She agreed weakly. 

"So, how Ôbout it?" Clark asked. 

Chloe sighed, honestly torn. She wanted to say no, she really did. She knew that to say yes would be crazy, yet... 

"Yes." She said impulsively. 

She knew that she would probably regret it, but she just couldn't say no. Not when it was so close to being a dream come true that she wanted to cry. 

Clark gave her another heart-melting grin. "Thanks, you're the best!" 

"I take it, she agreed." Lana said as she approached them. 

"She did." Clark confirmed, kissing his girlfriend tenderly, before slipping an arm around her waist and holding her tight. 

Lana smiled at Chloe. 

"I'm glad you agreed." She said with a smile. "Clark and I have dealt with enough gossip in the last year, we don't need to inspire anymore." 

"I understand." Chloe said with a forced smile. "And you guys should know that I'd do anything for yous." 

"Thanks again." Clark told her. "You're a great friend." 

Chloe averted her eyes so that neither of them would see the pain there. 

_Friend_. That's all she would ever be to Clark and she had to accept it. No matter how much it hurt. 

Still, she'd have one night, that had to count for something, right?   
* * * * * 

"You look great, Chloe." Clark told her when he picked her up for the dance. 

Chloe smiled. "Thanks, you look nice yourself. Is that shirt new?" 

She didn't think she had ever seen the deep blue sweater before and, as sad as it sounded even to herself, she knew almost every piece of Clark's wardrobe off by heart. 

"Yeah, Lana gave it to me." Clark told her. "She said that it matched my eyes." 

"She was right." Chloe said with a weak smile. 

The mention of Lana had reminded her that this wasn't a dream. That the reality of the evening was very different than any of the many fantasies she had had over the years. 

"Where is she by the way?" 

Clark looked surprised. "What?" 

"Lana? Where is she this weekend?" Chloe asked. "You said that she was going away, but you didn't tell me where." 

"Metropolis." Clark said with an easy smile as he and Chloe both got in his father's truck. "She and Nell went up to get some early Christmas shopping done." 

"Cool." Chloe said. "What about you, have you started your Christmas shopping, yet?" 

"Nope." Clark told her. "But I have some ideas what to get people. Except Lex, I'm drawing a complete blank there." 

Chloe smiled. "I would imagine that he's not the easiest person to shop for." 

Lex wasn't her favourite person in the world, she didn't completely trust him, but she had long since learned not to let Clark see that. He was determined to see the best in Lex and it bothered him when other people weren't willing to do the same. 

"No, he's not." Clark agreed with a laugh. "But I'll think of something, I mean I did last year." 

"So you two are still close?" Chloe asked. 

"Yeah, we are." Clark said warily. "He's one of my best friends, you should know that, Chloe." 

Chloe repressed a sigh. She did know that. She had seen with her own two eyes. Clark was gradually growing away from her and Pete, while his friendship with Lex grew stronger. 

Case in point, Lex had been the first to know when Clark and Lana had started going out. Of course he had played a big part in them getting together, but still Chloe had found it telling that Clark hadn't even **thought** about telling her or Pete before he told Lex. 

That hurt a lot. Chloe couldn't express into words how hard it was too accept that she was truly losing Clark. 

She had seen it coming for a long time. Their relationship was fading. 

Lana had burst all her frail romantic dreams, by becoming Clark's girlfriend and taking Chloe's place as the most important girl in his life. And then, Lex was slowly replacing her as Clark's best friend. 

Chloe knew that it was true. That Lex and Lana were the two most important people in Clark's life and it hurt. 

Still, she knew that if she tried to voice her feelings, or her concerns that sooner or later Lex was going to end up hurting Clark, it would only make things awkward. 

So, instead she faked a bright smile and changed the subject. She had gotten good at doing that.   
* * * * * 

"Clark!" The call came out as soon as Clark and Chloe entered the gym. 

Clark turned in the direction of the voice and smiled. "Lex." 

Chloe hid a sigh as Clark steered her towards his friend. 

"How's it going?" Clark asked with a grin. 

Lex glared at him. 

"You're going to pay for this." He said in a low voice. "How does the Opera sound?" 

Clark groaned. "You wouldn't!" 

"Wouldn't I?" Lex asked with a grin, then he turned to Chloe, as if noticing her for the first time. 

"Chloe, hi!" He sounded surprised and sent Clark an inquiring looks. "Where's Lana?" 

Clark smiled. "Metropolis. I asked Chloe to come with me tonight because I didn't want to go stag and I figured you'd kill me if I skipped out." 

"You're right." Lex said dryly. "I would. Of course, I'm considering killing you anyway." 

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad." Clark said with a laugh. 

Lex glared at him. "You want to bet?" 

Clark grinned. "Worse than that hockey game we went to last month?" 

"About even I'd say." Lex answered. "I still haven't forgiven you for that, by the way." 

"You went to a hockey game?" Chloe asked in surprise. 

Somehow she couldn't imagine the cool and sophisticated Mr. Luthor at **any** sporting event. 

"Unfortunately." Lex answered. "And if that wasn't bad enough, Clark and Lana played their own version of hockey throughout the game." 

Chloe raised her eyebrows, trying to let her pain show on her face. "You and Lana made out at a hockey game?" 

Clark shrugged. "Yeah, so?" 

"There's something just so wrong about that." Chloe told him. 

"I agree." Lex answered. "But since they make out everywhere else, including the ballet..." 

"The ballet?" Chloe asked, looking at Clark. "You went to the ballet?" 

"More than once." Clark explained. "Lex has a box and he and Lana have decided that I need some culture." 

"Which reminds me." Lex told Clark. "I've got everything arranged for our trip to New York, did you talk to your parents?" 

Clark made a face. "My dad wasn't thrilled, but in the end he gave in and said I could go." 

Lex smiled. "Great. Then it's set, we'll leave after the day after Boxing Day." 

"What's going on?" Chloe asked curiously. 

Clark smiled. "Well, Lex decided that if he was going to educate and sophisticate me, then New York City was a must. So, he, Lana, and I are going to spend a week there during the holidays." 

"Sounds like fun." Chloe commented. 

And it did, but it also made her aware of the truth. That Clark's world had changed. That she and Pete really had no place in it. 

"It will be." Clark agreed, enthusiasm shining in his big blue eyes. 

Chloe gave a fake smile. 

She saw Lex eying her and then a minute later, when the song changed, he held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" 

"Sure." Chloe answered, even though she didn't really want to. 

"You know, if you don't watch it, even Clark's going to clue in eventually." Lex told her as soon as they were on the dance floor. 

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked. 

Lex smirked. "Come off it, everyone except Clark, and possibly Lana, knows that you have a thing for him. And everyone, including you, also knows that it's hopeless." 

Chloe bit her lip, determined not to show the pain his words caused her. 

"You think I don't know that?" She hissed. "What's your point?" 

"My point is that sooner or later, Clark will catch on, and that will be bad for everyone." Lex told her. "After all, it'll only will upset Clark and quite probably ruin your friendship. Not that I see that as a bad thing." 

Chloe stared at him. "What do you mean?" 

She couldn't believe it. "Clark and I have been friends for years." 

"Yes and I can't see a single positive thing that came out of it." Lex told her. "More than that, I think that you and your snooping will only get Clark in trouble. I don't want that." 

"What do you want?" Chloe asked angrily. 

Though she had a pretty good idea. The ballet, the fancy parties, the trips to New York. Lex was slowly bringing Clark into his world and out of the world in which Clark had grown up. The world in which Chloe belonged. 

Lex smiled. "Just what's best for Clark." 

"Yeah, right." Chloe snorted. "And what's that?" 

"Everything." Lex told her smoothly. "Clark's special, Chloe. He has a lot of potential and with the right teachings, he can go far in this world. I intend to make sure that he does." 

"And Lana fits into that, doesn't she?" Chloe asked. 

"Perfectly." Lex told her. "Lana is just the kind of girlfriend that Clark should have. Luckily he was bright enough to see that for himself. If only the same could be said about his choice of friends." 

"Meaning me. You think I'd ruin the ideal future you have planned for Clark." Chloe said, hating Lex with every pore of her being. "Shouldn't Clark have a choice?" 

"Of course." Lex answered. "He is almost an adult, after all. However, I just thought I'd warn you, that if you weren't careful, you'd destroy your friendship all by yourself." 

Thankfully for Chloe, the song ended at that moment and she was able to break free of Lex's embrace. 

Determined not to show Clark how upset she was, she returned to his side, the bald billionaire right behind her.   
* * * * * 

"Did you have fun?" Clark asked that night, as he dropped Chloe off. 

_Fun?_ She thought. _Sure, I had fun. It was real fun talking to your new best friend who made it clear he hates my guts and doesn't think that I'm good enough to be your friend. It was almost as fun as watching the two of you talk all night and realize that I didn't have a place in your life anymore._

Of course, she didn't say that out loud. Instead, she just smiled. 

"Yeah." She said softly. 

Clark smiled. "Cool. Thanks for doing this, Chloe." 

"Your welcome." Chloe told him. 

She watched as he walked away, her heart breaking. 

Tonight was something she had dreamed about for years. Being Clark Kent's date to anything. But reality was no dream come true. 

Instead, all that had happened was that she realized how hopeless those dreams that were. 

She was never going to win Clark's heart. She knew that. 

She also knew that it wouldn't be long before she wasn't even his friend anymore. Lex would see to that. 

She wanted to say something to Clark. 

But she couldn't. She had tried to warn him against Lex before and failed. 

Clark wouldn't hear anything bad about him. More than that, deep down, she was afraid that if she put Clark in a position where he had to choose between her and Lex, she'd lose him right now. 

She wasn't ready to do that. She'd rather have Clark's friendship than nothing. 

But she was terribly afraid that nothing was what she was going to have. 

That all her dreams would go up in smoke, just like one had tonight. 

The End 


End file.
